New Zealand · Reporting
How to report a crypto scam in New Zealand
Lost money to a crypto scam in New Zealand? Learn when to contact your bank, Police 105, and the FMA, what evidence to save, and what reporting can achieve.
Published 4 October 2026 · Updated 4 October 2026 · AI-assisted educational content from Crypto Claim Advisors
The short answer
Contact your bank or exchange first, report suspected fraud to Police through 105, and tell the FMA if it involved an investment offer. Keep each reference number.
Start with the payment, not a perfect report
If you have just sent money, call the provider that processed it. Say you suspect fraud and identify the payment date, amount, recipient, and reference. Ask whether a pending payment can be stopped, a bank transfer recalled, or an exchange account flagged. An answer depends on the payment route and timing; a completed blockchain transfer is not reversed like a card refund.
Use the phone number in your bank’s app or on its official website. Do not use a contact supplied by the person who persuaded you to invest. If they want another deposit to investigate your complaint, stop.
Police and the FMA have different roles
A police report records suspected criminal activity. New Zealand Police’s 105 service is for non-emergency reports, including fraud, scams, and cyber incidents. An FMA report concerns investment or financial scams and can support enquiries and public warnings. Submitting only to one organisation does not automatically complete the other report.
Describe what happened in plain language: how you met the contact, what was promised, what you sent, and why you now believe it was fraudulent. Distinguish money you actually transferred from profits displayed on a website.
What a useful first report contains
Gather receipts, website addresses, chat exports, emails, transaction hashes, and any withdrawal demands. If a record is missing, report anyway and explain the gap. Keep original files and a separate short timeline so you can answer follow-up questions without repeatedly opening a suspicious site.
Where to act in New Zealand
Contact the bank, exchange, or payment service you used through its genuine app or independently verified website. For suspected fraud, use New Zealand Police’s 105 non-emergency service. Report investment-related scams to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). These are separate actions: do not wait for a regulator response before contacting your payment provider. The FMA states that it cannot recover your funds.
Checklist
- Contact your payment provider now.
- Record actual NZD payments and crypto units separately.
- Submit a 105 report and save its reference.
- Report the investment offer to the FMA.
- Save evidence before blocking the contact.
Official sources
Linked for reference. They are not endorsements and we do not control their content.
- FMA — Report a scam
Supports: Immediate actions, information to supply, and the FMA’s limits on recovering funds.
- New Zealand Police — 105 reporting
Supports: Non-emergency fraud reporting and the distinction from emergency assistance.
Common questions
Will the FMA get my crypto back?+
The FMA says it cannot recover your funds. Reporting can help it investigate and warn others; recovery options depend on the facts and the provider involved.
Should I wait until I know every wallet address?+
No. Report what you know and retain any later evidence so you can update the relevant organisation.
Who wrote this. Published by Crypto Claim Advisors as AI-assisted educational content compiled from the official sources above. No named qualified human reviewer is claimed. Illustrations are AI-generated.
Education, not advice. This is not legal, financial or tax advice and recovery is never guaranteed. Crypto Claim Advisors has a commercial interest in claim reviews. Read the editorial policy.
